Foam spring mattress configured with variable firmness

Abstract

A method includes selecting an arrangement of foam springs, the arrangement that matches user-selected firmness requirements; attaching foam springs to a foam panel in a removable, replaceable manner; and inserting the foam springs and the foam panel into a containment facility. A mattress includes foam springs; a foam panel to which an arrangement of the foam springs is attached in a removable, replaceable manner; a containment facility within which the foam springs and the foam panel are disposed; and a side rail with indentations within which sides of at least some of the foam springs are disposed. The mattress may also include a fabric webbing, attached to the containment facility, within which some of the foam springs are disposed in a removable, replaceable manner; and an attachment device attaching together at least two of the foam springs.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of configuring a mattress, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving at least one input relating to a firmness of a mattress; 
 providing a plurality of foam springs including at least a first foam spring defining a first firmness and at least a second foam spring defining a second firmness different from the first firmness, wherein the first foam spring with the first firmness is a first color and the second foam spring with the second firmness is a second color different from the first color; 
 providing a containment facility for receiving a pattern of foam springs selected from the plurality of foam springs, the pattern including at least one of each of the first foam spring and second foam spring; 
 determining a pattern of foam springs selected from the plurality of foam springs including at least one of each of the first foam spring and second foam spring to be received in the containment facility such that the pattern of selected foam springs is operable to provide a firmness configuration corresponding to the at least one input relating to the firmness, wherein the pattern includes an arrangement of foam springs based on foam spring color; 
 selecting the first foam spring and the second foam spring from among the plurality of foam springs; and 
 positioning the selected first foam spring and the selected second foam spring within the containment facility so as to correspond to the pattern based on the first color of the first foam spring and the second color of the second foam spring. 
 
     
     
       2. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of foam springs each being individually removable and replaceable in the containment facility. 
     
     
       3. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving the selected foam springs in the containment facility in a pattern corresponding to the determined pattern; 
 whereby a mattress is configured to include the containment facility with the firmness configuration corresponding to the at least one input relating to the firmness. 
 
     
     
       4. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the step of receiving at least one input relating to a firmness of a mattress comprises receiving at least one input relating to a firmness by a computer; and 
 the step of determining a pattern of foam springs comprises determining by a computer. 
 
     
     
       5. A method in accordance with  claim 4 , further comprising:
 outputting from a computer a schematic representing the pattern of the plurality of foam springs to be received in the containment facility. 
 
     
     
       6. A method in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein:
 the schematic further represents the containment facility and the pattern of the plurality of foam springs are represented as positioned within the containment facility. 
 
     
     
       7. A method in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein:
 the schematic includes a different color for each spring firmness. 
 
     
     
       8. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of foam springs further includes at least a third foam spring defining a third firmness different from the first and second firmness, and wherein the third spring is a third color which is different from the first color and the second color. 
 
     
     
       9. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of foam springs comprise barrel shaped foam springs. 
 
     
     
       10. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first foam spring includes a material density different from a material density of the second foam spring. 
 
     
     
       11. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing an attachment facility for attaching together one or more of the selected foam springs received in the containment facility; and 
 attaching together the one or more of the selected foam springs received in the containment facility using the attachment facility. 
 
     
     
       12. A method in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein:
 the attachment facility comprises a webbing with a plurality of openings, the openings removably and replaceably receiving said at least some of the selected foam springs. 
 
     
     
       13. A method in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein:
 the containment facility further includes at least one foam panel disposed above or below the selected foam springs when the selected foam springs are received in the containment facility. 
 
     
     
       14. A method in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein:
 the at least one foam panel includes locators for locating the selected foam springs received in the containment facility. 
 
     
     
       15. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the firmness configuration provided by the pattern of foam springs includes a plurality of regions and at least one of the regions has a different local firmness than the other regions. 
 
     
     
       16. A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of foam springs are disposed in the containment facility such that the foam springs with the first color and the foam springs with the second color form a color pattern representing a firmness profile. 
 
     
     
       17. A method of configuring a mattress, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of foam springs including at least a first foam spring defining a first firmness and at least a second foam spring defining a second firmness different from the first firmness, wherein the first foam spring with the first firmness is a first color and the second foam spring with the second firmness is a second color different from the first color; 
 providing a containment facility for receiving a pattern of foam springs selected from the plurality of foam springs, the pattern including at least one of each of the first foam spring and second foam spring, the foam springs each being individually removable and replaceable in the containment facility; 
 determining a pattern of foam springs selected from the plurality of foam springs including at least one of each of the first foam spring and second foam spring to be received in the containment facility such that the pattern of selected foam springs is operable to provide a firmness configuration, wherein the pattern includes an arrangement of foam springs based on foam spring color; 
 selecting the first foam spring and the second foam spring from among the plurality of foam springs; 
 positioning the selected first foam spring and the selected second foam spring within the containment facility so as to correspond to the pattern based on the first color of the first foam spring and the second color of the second foam spring; 
 modifying the firmness configuration by removing and replacing at least one of the plurality of foam springs with the first color with one or more foam springs of varying density with a color different from the first color. 
 
     
     
       18. A method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein:
 the plurality of foam springs are disposed in the containment facility such that the foam springs with the first color and the foam springs with the second color form a color pattern representing a firmness profile.